The Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Mrs. Caroline Adepoju, has revealed plans to establish additional passport service points to cater to the increasing needs of Nigerians in the Diaspora.
Adepoju shared this information in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Abuja.
Acknowledging the significant number of Nigerians residing abroad, particularly in the UK, Adepoju emphasized the need to create more service points in countries like the UK, Canada, and the USA.
She expressed the commitment of the NIS to addressing the challenges faced by Nigerians in obtaining passports while abroad.
“I have it on good authority that in the UK, we have over four million Nigerians, and this number increases every day because of the ‘Japa syndrome’; families that relocated, students, and those in search of greener pastures and jobs. So all hands are on deck to ensure that we create more service points in the UK, Canada, and in the USA,” Adepoju stated.
The NIS CG also mentioned ongoing efforts to streamline passport processing within Nigeria. She highlighted the opening of three additional passport processing centers in Ikorodu, Offa, and Ile-Oluji, aiming to alleviate the demand on existing centers in Lagos, Kwara, and Ondo states.
“More are coming, we are going to Ibadan, Badagry, we will look at everywhere we have high volume of applications. I want Nigerians to continue to support me, understand, and be aware that they owe us the duty of ensuring that they apply for their passports when it is about six months before the expiry date,” she added.
Adepoju urged Nigerians to use the online application system to reduce pressure on the system and discourage the use of touts. She revealed plans to digitize the entire process, minimizing human interference.
Regarding delays in passport issuance, the NIS CG attributed some of the challenges to technical issues like the non-alignment of applicant data with their National Identity Number, which is being addressed in collaboration with the National Identification Management Commission.
“But that being said, for people who are experiencing such hardship, we have mechanisms in place where complaints and feedback can reach us through our website, and we will do everything we can to resolve the issues,” Adepoju assured.
She also disclosed that the NIS had cleared thousands of pending passport applications, urging applicants to collect their passports promptly.
“There are thousands of uncollected passports. About a few months ago, I published the names of all applicants and the passports ready in Nigeria. I was in London two weeks ago and I was shocked at the number of passports already produced, waiting for collection,” Adepoju added.
